During a time when normal life has gone for a toss, many brands have come up with out-of-the-box products to protect frontline warriors and common people. By Ayushi Sharma
While ringing in 2020, like every year, we made resolutions about leading a better lifestyle, creating a balanced mental canvas, visiting new holiday destinations and so on... Who would have thought that the year would be a harbinger of a phenomenon that would bring the world to a grinding halt leaving us wondering what had hit us? This time might be one of the toughest for the world, but then it is human tendency to turn around adversity. Formulation of products that help the frontline warriors and common people appears to be the perfect example of how necessity and tough times can often lead to new inventions.
Stay home, stay safe — the motto today continues to be true for everyone who can adhere to it and feel secure. But it is not an option for those who are stationed at forefront fighting the pandemic every day with faces buried inside masks that make breathing cumbersome, wearing the protective clothing and tackling scary life situations day in and day out. In such a crisis, Desmania, the brainchild of alumnus of NID, has come up with the Full Face Mask D’Armor, a protective face mask.
The product is primarily an amalgamation of the mask and face shield, smartly crafted to snugly fit the face and get adjusted according to the facial contours. It is thoughtfully formulated to address issues faced by users. For instance, heavy breathing, fogging up of the shield which reduces visibility, overall bulkiness of the equipment which makes quick transitions difficult, are all taken into account and resolved.
While the focus is on hygiene these days, the dumping of disposable masks can eventually lead to biological hazards in times to come. Backed up by professionals at AIIMS and IIT Delhi, Face Armor keeps this aspect in view as well. It’s washable and abides with the norms of sustainability. Much in line with the nano and N95 masks, this product can be reused without compromising safety or burning a hole in your pocket.
The brand is diligently conceptualising other products for door to door vendors and delivery boys, who are at equal risk. For instance, they have made a belt equipped with modular compartments that can be adjusted as per the need. It has a place to keep a sanitiser bottle, hook their helmet and a cash collecting box so that hygiene is not compromised.
Taking cognisance of the current situation, Bata India Limited has launched anti-bacterial shoes for children. Matteo Lambert, chief collection officer of the brand, feels that change in consumer behaviour is bound to be a natural fallout of the on-going crisis. In the post-pandemic world, health and safety would be of paramount importance for everyone. He says, “Brands that employ the best of safety measures, right from the production stage to the final delivery are going to be in vogue. Fashion alone would not be the deciding factor and that would be a game changer as consumers would be cautious about what they are purchasing and the kind of risks they expose themselves to. An increased receptiveness to products that are durable and offer more protection will be seen. These shoes can be easily washed and sanitised, without impairing their make and material.”
“From what the consumers are eating to what they are wearing, everything will have to measure up to standard benchmarks of safety and hygiene. Keeping these safety concerns in mind, Bata is planning to include feet sanitisers, wipes and face masks in the bouquet of product offerings. We want to ensure that we are well equipped in advance to meet the evolving consumer demands,” adds he.
To step up safety standards for riders and drivers, Uber launched a comprehensive set of measures, ramped up the distribution of millions of PPE kits to drivers and introduced safety awareness education video courses for them. Uber’s new in-app safety feature will notify drivers to replenish their PPE supplies after they have completed a predetermined number of trips. The notification will provide a list of convenient pick up points and generate a QR code once they select the preferred location. An Uber volunteer will scan the QR code at the designated pick up location and hand over PPE supplies to drivers.
In case drivers choose to source the required PPE themselves, the brand promises to reimburse the cost. Distribution of PPE kits has been ongoing in Green and Orange zones since the relaxation of the lockdown. As a part of its safety initiatives, the company has also made it mandatory for driver partners to complete ride-sharing specific educational videos, highlighting standard operating procedures for vehicle disinfection and other COVID-19 related safety protocols. Drivers can only take trips, once they have watched these videos to ensure they’re following the safety protocols.
Pavan Vaish, head of Central Operations, Uber India, shares, “The safety of everyone who uses our platform is a priority. We ordered millions of masks and sanitisers at an early stage of the pandemic. Our new distribution technology ensures that drivers can get these safety supplies over a long period of time. As authorities lift the lockdown and millions prepare to get back to work, we will double our efforts to set industry standards for safety.”
The pandemic has pressurised and overburdened our healthcare systems and is challenging their preparedness to deal with the emergency scenarios in an unprecedented manner. Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS), Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) and DRDO laboratories have developed an Ultraviolet C Light-based sanitisation box. This can be used to sanitise objects like keys and wallets. The organisations have also developed a handheld UV-C device with a wavelength of 254 nanometres.
On the same lines, nanotechnology start-up, Log 9 Materials, has invented an effective solution in the form of a disinfection chamber — CoronaOven. The product uses UV-C light (based upon the scientific principle of Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation) to kill the virus and other pathogens within 10 minutes after an object is placed inside the box for decontamination. It has been designed based on the study done on SARS virus. It’s as easy to use as a microwave. Put your products to be disinfected inside the box, turn it on for 10 minutes and they will be virus-free.
The question that arises now is how much will such products last? Will they continue to be necessities even after we emerge from the pandemic? Kartik Hajela, co-founder and COO of the brand, tells us that COVID-19 will definitely lead to a consumer behaviour shift. “We anticipate hygiene and sanitisation becoming one of the major categories and hence, the UV based sterilisation technology we are bringing to the market will be adopted even after the current situation stabilises,” says he.
Of course, humans will continue to shop but the whats and whys of the products are all set to change.